Flying Things

1. Mosquitos:

If anyone didn't know, there are many mosquitos in Zambia.

When Cameron and I arrived in Lusaka our bags didn't and neither did our deet 30% mosquito repellant. I was under the impression that in urban areas mosquitos and therefore malaria were not an issue. I was corrected on both counts by fellow missionaries at the Chamba Valley guest house where we were staying. The first night wasn't bad due, I think, to the utter exhaustion, and we slept well. The second night I couldn't sleep due to the cacophony of high pitched buzzing in my ears. In the dark I could picture the little

critters coming in for a landing and a bloody meal. I spent the wee hours trying to stay under the covers and intermittently opening them for air without letting any miniscule friends in. It was less than satisfactory. There were no mosquito nets to be had on the compound so the next night we resorted to a combination of kamikaze mosquito wacking and a mosquito coil. We slept peacefully but I couldn't help but wonder which was worse - a few parasite laden bites or the smoke inhalation of a toxic insecticide.

2. Small planes:

We got up bright and early yesterday am to fly to Mukinge. We went on a Flying Mission plane piloted by Don Amborski - a wonderful guy that Marguerite and I had the pleasure of getting to know on our last trip to Zambia 20 years ago when Cameron was a fetus (there... I got it in - Cameron hates it when I say that!). Security at the airport was comical - we first loaded our multiple grocery bags and large baggage (3 of the 4 bags had finally arrived) into the plane at the hangar with no one around. We then entered the airport and went through "security" with our carry-ons. Cameron triggered an electronic alarm consistent with some metal on his body when going through the scanner but no one seemed interested in checking it out. They seemed to be more concerned with getting their $8 US each for the domestic flight charge. The flight was great - 1.5 hours over mostly flat treed terrain segmented by streams and rivers. Don buzzed the farm of a friend of his close to Mukinge and that's when the nausea began. For Cameron, unfortunately this progressed to full on vomiting (another thing that flies!). We arrived at Mukinge in time for Cameron to wipe off his mouth and were greeted by a large contingent of Zambians (I think more intrigued with the plane than the new mukingeites) and our new missionary friends. Had a couple of hours in the out patient deptartment yesterday afternoon and a wonderful meal at the Tompkins' (full time doctor Daren and nurse wife Elissa) last night.

3. Thoughts:

I don't know if it was the Starbucks coffee (after 3-4 days of withdrawal) or all the culture shock and adjustments but my thoughts were working overtime and I couldn't get to sleep until about 3 this am. I kept ruminating about the patients I had seen in OPD and whether I had done the right thing. It will take a bit of getting used to - different diseases and treatment protocols, different drug and test names (acetaminophen = paracetamol). There is a lot of empirical treatment here since testing is unavailable and expensive. Often people are "jollied along" with vitamins and analgesics. (It is hard to tell someone who has traveled for days and has sat in the OPD for 8 hours that they have a viral illness and no treatment is needed). Finally to sleep at about 3 and up for a wonderful sunrise run with David Friend (surgeon from New Zealand) and Daren Tompkins.